Happy 4th of July To Rockaway Beach Volleyball Players

By Joe McGivney

Happy 4th of July To Rockaway Beach Volleyball Players By Joe McGivney

The sixth week of regular season RBVL activity was taking place as this paper went to press early because of the 4th of July holiday. However, it’s not too ea rly to commend the Rugby Club for another terrific night of food and drink. Special thanks goes to the team and club members who make the evening so pleasant. Everyone seems to enjoy the outdoor venues and the Rugby Club is no exception.

The divisional races are starting to shape up with many teams still in the championship hunt. In the Ocean Division, Marie’s Traitors are out front but there is a 3-way tie for second place among Abbracciamento’s, Coppersmith’s and Healy’s. Next week a key battle will pit father vs. son, father vs. daughter, brother vs. sister and brother vs. brother as the Bikini Bottom All-Stars take on the Kerry Hills Eiele. Rita Sica will mediate this civil war, as she tries to keep peace in the family. One thing is certain, a Sica will emerge triumphant.

The Rugby Clubhouse is on top of the Wave Division and will face their intra-club rival Fisheads on Wednesday. Longtime foes Connolly’s and the Federation will face off as will the 2nd and 3rd place squads, Jameson’s and Fillmore Insurance. Fillmore continues their steady play and remains a big factor in the playoff picture. They currently lead the league in weekly quotes and stories. Keep up the good work!

The Beach Division will feature a match-up between a couple of old warhorses, It’s All Good and the Beach House. If TBG returns to his old form, watch out! If he doesn’t, watch the waiver wire. Who knows how long Coach Bugsy will stick with him? With the rejuvenation of "Cement Shoes" Flanagan, Murph may be expendable. Does any team need a once-great player who still knows all of the zip codes in Queens?

The rest of the division is so tight that any additional win moves a team up another position. From the 2nd place Mahooshkas to the 7th place Ramblers and Gamblers it’s that close.

The Odd Couples and One Win are the top two units on the Boardwalk and they’ll square off this week. There is not much room separating the 3rd place Connolly’s Island from the 7th place Tap & Grill Cheese Fries, with the race for first still wide open. With a position week scheduled for 7/16 all of the divisional pictures should come into better focus shortly.

Mary’s Rebuttal: I have no idea where Mary Whalen is but Mary WHELAN has been here, very much in spirit. After a long battle with the dog and the homework, she is back in full force this week. The dog lost! While Wonder Women’s presence is a requirement, being Wonder Women brings many responsibilities and duties.

It is hard to forecast when her work will be done, and therefore the ETA is almost impossible to predict. Even the Bishop has been wondering where Wonder Women has been. She does want to know at what time will the first frozen drink be drawn and when will the last bottle of pilsner be pushed across the bar? She cannot fathom where the phantom threesome are as it is impossible to predict information regarding present whereabouts. WOW can only speak for herself.

The RBVL is at the halfway point of the season, which means that two big events are approaching fast. The playoff and final extravaganza is scheduled for Saturday, 8/9. Four champions will be crowned by the end of the day on the beach at Riis Park.

A few weeks later, the champs will receive formal recognition at the RBVL awards and dinner party. The gala will be held at the Beach Club on Friday night, September 12th. The exact time is yet to be determined but you can bet it will be around 8-9 PM. Captains will be given all of the details soon so that they can begin collecting deposits for the big celebration.

Next week’s party will be held at the Irish Circle, where you can bet the ponies while celebrating another good night at the beach. Stop by for some grub and a drink with your fellow athletes. As always, feel free to check the RBVL website at members.tripod. com/rbvl/. You’ll find additional pictures and full weekly stories. Please get to the beach in time to set up and start your games by 6:30 PM. You science buffs will know that the days are getting shorter and daylight will soon be a precious commodity. We’ll see you at the beach on Wednesday.